Review: Only Need You by J.D. Chambers

Kieran Jones just recently came out and he isn’t thrilled that he is the “baby gay” among his well-meaning friends. Kieran feels like he is kind of a mess that always needs taking care of and he wants to show that he can stand on his own. And that includes finding a guy of his own and experiencing a relationship with a man for the first time. The guy Kieran is really pining for, Ted Olson, doesn’t seem interested, however. Ted is the owner of Game Over, a local gaming store, and while Kieran spends a lot of time there, Ted seems to want to keep things firmly at a friend level. So Kieran agrees to check out a dating app at his roommate’s insistence and ends up on a blind date.

Ted has definitely noticed Kieran, but Ted is a lot older and has a lot more experience (both in life and in sex). He can’t imagine that someone as shiny and new as Kieran would ever be interested in a guy like him. So when his nephew pushes him, Ted decides to try getting back out there and looking for someone.

As it turns out, the guys end up on that date together and finally acknowledge the mutual interest they have in one another. Kieran is definitely attracted to Ted, but having had no real experience, he is also nervous. Ted is willing to be patient, however (even more patient than Kieran wants at times) so that the guys can get to know one another and Kieran can be totally comfortable. Kieran and Ted find that despite their differences in age and experience, they are really perfect for each other. And once they become intimate, even more so. But Ted is used to taking care of people and he feels protective over Kieran, while Kieran is really trying to figure out how to stand on his own two feet. Now the two must figure out some middle ground in order to really make a future together.

Only Need You is the third book in J.D. Chambers Only Colorado series. The series follows a group of close friends (and some family) in books that are filled with a lot of warmth, as well as a lot of heat. The books interconnect in that characters tend to appear in each other’s stories. In this case, we have met both Ted and Kieran before as Ted is Craig’s boss from Only With You, and Kieran is friends with a lot of the other characters. However, while Zach and Craig appear here, and perpetual roommate Ben has a large side roll (as does Ted’s nephew, Jonathan), you could pretty easily read this one as a stand alone from a plot perspective. It helps to know how everyone is connected, but definitely not essential.

So I really loved Ted and Kieran together. I am a sucker for an age gap story, especially one with a more inexperienced partner. I think Chambers gets the balance just right here between Kieran needing time to get comfortable in a relationship and the idea of sex, and seeing Kieran really come into his own as he figures out what he wants with Ted and reaches for it. There are some great (steamy) scenes where Kieran explores sex with Ted and I loved the mix of playfulness and heat Chambers manages. In fact, there is just a nice bit of humor and some quirky fun to this whole series and I just find the tone really fun and entertaining. I appreciated the way these guys find balance together in their relationship, especially as Kieran realizes he can take care of Ted just as much as Ted takes care of him. I liked seeing Kieran really come into his own strength and abilities here, as well as become more confident as a romantic and sexual partner.

I also enjoyed seeing the ensemble cast here again and Chambers has really created a fun and interesting group. There are already five books out in the series (I am catching up) so we know the focus of the next two books and we get some great glimpses of them here. I am making it a priority to get to these remaining books as soon as I can as I am really enjoying this series a lot. So if you are looking for a fun contemporary series with some humor, heat, and heart, definitely check these books out.

P.S. All these covers are great, but I am so loving this one with Kieran. The cover model is a perfect fit for his character.

3 Comments

I loved this one. I picked it up not realizing it was part-way through a series (I believe it was recommended somewhere in a new releases post, and amazon hadn’t linked it to the series yet). It reads well as a stand-alone, and I immediately went back to read the first books (which are both excellent). I think the next books I liked slightly less, but they’re still really good. This book in particular sets a high standard.

Yep, I think this one works as a standalone from a story perspective, though I think bing familiar with the side characters is a nice bonus if you have read the others. I have read the first four (my review for the fourth comes next week) and I think this is my favorite so far. I just loved the dynamic between Ted and Kieran. Glad you enjoyed it as well!

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Welcome to Joyfully Jay! My name is Jay and I started this blog because I love to read and wanted a place to share my thoughts with other readers and lovers of romance. Joyfully Jay kicked off back in September 2011 and we are growing bigger every day! We review primarily romance featuring men, but we also review all kinds of LGBTQ romance here, as well as literary fiction and non-fiction. In addition to book reviews, we host daily author guest posts and regular giveaways. So lots of fun stuff and we keep quite busy here! …read more